Josh Donaldson vs Graig Nettles: Career Stats Comparison
Graig Nettles has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Josh Donaldson played 2010–2023 as a hitter; Graig Nettles played 1967–1988 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Josh Donaldson (2010–2023) and Graig Nettles (1967–1988) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Josh Donaldson finished with 1,310 hits and 279 home runs; Graig Nettles finished with 2,225 hits and 390 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Graig Nettles, with 390 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS? Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average? Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits? Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.
- Who drove in more runs? Graig Nettles, with 1,314 to Josh Donaldson's 816.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Josh Donaldson, with 18,424 career PIV to Graig Nettles's 12,470.
- Who won more championships? Graig Nettles, with 2 World Series titles to Josh Donaldson's 0.
Josh Donaldson
Graig Nettles
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Josh Donaldson and Graig Nettles. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Donaldson | Graig Nettles |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,384 | Leads: 2,700 |
| At-Bats | 5,022 | Leads: 8,986 |
| Runs | 816 | Leads: 1,193 |
| Hits | 1,310 | Leads: 2,225 |
| Doubles | 287 | Leads: 328 |
| Triples | 12 | Leads: 28 |
| Home Runs | 279 | Leads: 390 |
| RBI | 816 | Leads: 1,314 |
| Walks | 725 | Leads: 1,088 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,221 | 1,209 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 40 | 32 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .261 | .248 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .358 | .329 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .489 | .421 |
| OPS | Leads: .847 | .750 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Josh Donaldson outpaces Graig Nettles 18,424 to 12,470 — driven by per-season impact — 1,228 PIV per season to 567 — rather than by longevity, since Josh Donaldson played 15 seasons to Graig Nettles's 22. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Josh Donaldson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Graig Nettles — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Josh Donaldson leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Graig Nettles owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Josh Donaldson. PIV agrees: Josh Donaldson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Donaldson and Graig Nettles careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Graig Nettles's ended in 1988, and Josh Donaldson debuted in 2010. Graig Nettles has the far longer record, 2,700 games against 1,384 across 15 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Josh Donaldson struck out more than walked (1,221 to 725), and Graig Nettles struck out more than walked (1,209 to 1,088). In on-base percentage, Josh Donaldson holds the edge, .358 to .329. Josh Donaldson owns the better peak by OPS: .953 OPS in 2016 for Josh Donaldson against .829 OPS in 1977 for Graig Nettles.
Josh Donaldson vs Graig Nettles: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Donaldson or Graig Nettles?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Graig Nettles leads Josh Donaldson in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Josh Donaldson or Graig Nettles hit more home runs?
- Graig Nettles, with 390 to Josh Donaldson's 279.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Josh Donaldson, with .847 to Graig Nettles's .750.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Josh Donaldson, with .261 to Graig Nettles's .248.
- Who had more hits?
- Graig Nettles, with 2,225 to Josh Donaldson's 1,310.